The Shakespeare Stealer

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1998

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-7

Chapters 8-12

Chapters 13-16

Chapters 17-20

Chapters 21-24

Chapters 25-27

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Themes

Identity

The concept of identity is central in The Shakespeare Stealer, and this theme is reflected in the Shakespearean stage setting as well as the characters’ lives and conversations. Widge’s journey to discover his true identity is highlighted throughout the novel, but other characters undergo transformations of identity as well.

From birth, Widge has had a complicated relationship with his own identity. He does not know his parentage, and he was named by the caretaker of the orphanage where he spent his childhood. When the caretaker first saw Widge, she exclaimed, “the poor little pigwidgeon!” because he was very small and frail (3). She later shortened the word to Widge, and the name stuck.

Widge’s preoccupation with his name is evident throughout the novel, and his name is mocked multiple times by various other characters. Upon meeting the English queen, Widge is embarrassed by his name yet again. Later that night, he declares to Sander that his new name is Pedringano. This naming of himself reveals that Widge is now claiming an identity and a new life because the name “Pedringano” comes from Widge’s first line as an actor in one of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men’s plays. Ultimately, The Shakespeare Stealer is a book about Widge’s quest to find his true self and overcome his abusive past.

Within the company, Widge is not the only player who adopts various identities. Julia, a young female player, goes by the name “Julian” and dresses as a boy in order to become an apprentice of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. For her, assuming a boy’s identity is the only way for her to realize her dreams of becoming an actor. In this way, she mimics the themes of many of Shakespeare’s plays, like Twelfth Night and Cymbeline, where men and women swap traditional gender roles. For Julia, assuming a false identity is the only way for her to be her true self in a world that is set against her because of her gender.

Perhaps the most literal example of identity swapping, however, comes from Simon Bass. Bass wears a mask and calls himself Falconer when he is in public, behaving and speaking differently than his usual self. Like Julia, Falconer becomes the most honest manifestation of Bass’s true personality. Bass seems to be a fairly mild-mannered, white-collar criminal, whereas Falconer is aggressive to the point of murder. Falconer allows Bass to act on his darkest impulses, which manifests Bass’s true self.

The Importance of Honor

Elizabethan England’s preoccupation with honor, dignity, and honesty is evident throughout The Shakespeare Stealer, and it affects every character in turn. Widge’s only understanding of honor at the beginning of the novel is his own pride and ego, which is demonstrated by his indignation when he is mocked or challenged. Later, Widge begins to understand honor as a nuanced form of confidence and honesty that often requires sacrifice, such as when he must confess his criminal mission to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Another example of this is when Mr. Armin must fight his own duel with Falconer without any assistance from Widge. Fencing and dueling are often catalysts for representations of honor throughout the novel. In the book, duels are a physical means of establishing honor, which readers see when Julian and Nick duel after Nick accuses Julian of being a poor actor. The balance between a man keeping his honor by fighting his own battles and losing his honor by betraying his friends is tricky. Moreover, the emotionally underdeveloped Widge often struggles to navigate this balance.

True to its historical setting in Elizabethan England, the novel’s depiction of honor is different for men and women. Though most female characters are afforded little mention, the primary female character, Julia, complicates the theme of honor by masquerading as a boy in order to act on the Shakespearean stage. In Elizabethan society, women and girls achieved honor through their relationships with honorable men. It is considered dishonorable for a female player to act on the stage, and this is even prohibited by law. However, it is not considered dishonorable for male players to don skirts and act as female characters. Thus, men are continually deemed honorable or dishonorable based on their ability to take action, whereas women are deemed honorable or dishonorable based on their willingness to be submissive. Julia pushes against this, and her decision to move to France to become an actor starts to redefine honor at the end of the book. In Julia’s case, the honorable thing to do is to follow her dreams, even if that means leaving England behind.

Friendship and Family

From Widge’s early life as an orphan to his gradual development as a reliable friend and roommate to Sander, the theme of family creates the pathos of the story. Widge knows little about his biological family. As he describes in the first chapter, “I never knew my mother or my father. As reliably as I can learn, my mother died the same year I was born, the year of our Lord 1587, the twenty-ninth of Queen Elizabeth’s reign” (3). Even so, young Widge becomes hopeful that a loving family will adopt him. He claims, “It was the dream of each child within those dreary walls that someday a real family would come and claim him. When I was seven years of age […] that orphan’s dream suddenly became a reality for me” (4). Widge is disappointed, however, because the man who adopts him—a dishonest rector named Dr. Bright—does so only to turn Widge into his servant and apprentice in charactery. Dr. Bright is an abusive and neglectful master, which is hardly the adoptive father that Widge dreamed of as a child. Due to this terrible experience, Widge gives up on the concept of family. Consequently, Widge never understands what it means to have healthy relationships, much less the supportive love of friendship and community.

Once he is part of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, however, Widge begins to develop an understanding of family due to the way the players care for one another. For instance, when Widge questions why the company does not discharge Nick after he repeatedly misses work due to his drunken carousing, Sander replies, “the theatre is a sort of family and, like it or no, Nick is a part of it” (139-40). Additionally, Widge is given multiple chances to prove himself despite having no real aptitude or desire to be a player. He fails again and again—at fencing, at acting, and at being honest—but the troupe forgives him. They understand that being a family means being kind, forgiving, and supportive, which Widge has to learn to accept and reciprocate.

By the conclusion of the novel, Widge understands the concepts of both friendship and family, and he considers Mr. Pope and Sander to be his real family. Through his apprenticeship with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Widge is able to learn the responsibility and trust necessary for building and maintaining familial relationships. This comes to fruition when he stumbles across Nick stealing the Hamlet playbook for Falconer. At that moment, Widge is presented with two choices. He can let Nick steal the play, which will make him even with Falconer but hurt the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, or he can stop Nick at his own personal expense to protect his new family. He chooses the latter, which cements his role in his new theatre community.